The VCS Learning Center at COSI will host this years' carnival on Thursday, March 14 from 5:30-8 p.m.

Students in grades K-6 will participate in carnival-style math and literacy games for a chance to win cool prizes! The event is free to attend and parking is included. Tell the parking attendant that you are there for the VCS event. Pizza and drinks will be provided. Register now to secure your spot! 

Click here to register now!

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Here at VCS, we want to do the most we can to help you prepare for the OGT's. Practice problems are great but what if you get stuck? What if you had instant access to a tutor any time you needed help? Well, with an exciting new program called Brainfuse, this instant access will be available to VCS students!

With a quick click of a button, you can access your own personal tutor whenever you are struggling with a practice problem. Tutors will be available until 11 p.m. each day which is outside of our typical school hours.  You will have someone available to help at almost any time you need it!  Look for more information on this opportunity in the coming weeks.  

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From now on, all new students to VCS will be enrolled in our new Orientation Courses. These courses will teach
new students how to become a successful online student and more importantly, how to use our technologies. The orientation courses are filled with tons of videos, providing students with step-by-step instructions on how to complete daily tasks such as logging hours, accessing their lessons and submitting their assignments. 

These videos may be a good brush up for current students, as well. Current high school students can access these videos in the Student Lounge. The videos will be available to all students via the Help Desk website, coming soon. 

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Tech-Talk is a monthly addition to our VCS Voice e-newsletter where we will answer any tech questions you may have, give you some tech-tips and share some fun apps! 

• Tech Question of the Month:

  When I click on my Blackboard session, it does not load... How can I fix this?  

  Great Question! There's a quick fix to this before you call the Help Desk for support. Go to Java.com  and download the latest version to your computer. This should do the trick!

• Fun Apps/Programs (Click on the title to go to the link)

  Audacity is a free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.

  Screen Chomp (for iPad) records your touchscreen interaction and audio.

  Educreations (for iPad) create and share amazing videos with your iPad or browser.

  Jing is a great and easy way to capture images and videos and then share them with anyone.

  Screencast-O-Matic you can record and insert links into your video.

  Kids' Zone (Create a Graph) site is great for students who want to add data to a report or project. It is easy to use and even has tutorials to help get you started. The 4th grade class is using this site to graph test scores to help them track their progress toward their goals.

  Tagxedo turns words -- famous speeches, news articles, slogans and themes, even your love letters -- into a visually stunning word cloud. What a great way to let your valentine know what you think of them!

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Want to win this cool 8 GB Wolf-Transformer memory drive? Then enter the Tech Talk Logo Contest!

Tech-Talk (see article above) is a new, monthly column that answers many tech questions, gives you tech-tips, shares fun apps, plus much more!

 Send us your homemade, original pictures for our Teck-Talk logo and the winner will get this cool Wolf-Transformer memory drive! Entries must be in by February 15th!

*Send your entry to: bryn.stepp@vcslearn.org or christian.mccloskey@vcslearn.org. Please title your e-mail "Logo Contest". All pictures must be original art work from you and not copied from a source. Good luck!

Students in grades K-6 are invited to participate in our new monthly Math reading program called Mathy Monday. This month, Mr. Hammond will be reading Multiplying Menace: The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin by Pam Calvert. Please join us!

When: Monday, February 11
Time: 9 a.m.
Where: VCS Auditorium in Blackboard 

If so, then you should participate in Marshall University's academic festival! 

 There are many areas where you can compete: music... business... physical fitness... military map reading... pre-law... Spanish... creative writing... history...     public speaking... French... chemistry... physics... nursing... photojournalism... television... AND MANY MORE! Click here for more information. 

If you decide to compete, you must be able to travel to Huntington, WV on April 6, 2013. Interested participants should contact Mrs. Callicoat at (866) 647-6432 or mary.callicoat@vcslearn.org.

All teaching staff will be participating in Professional Development on February 18. Teachers will be creating a SLO (Student Learning Objective). An SLO is a goal that demonstrates a teacher's impact on student learning within a given interval of instruction. It is a measurable, long-term academic target. The SLO fits into the new Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) that all teachers in the state will be required to do next year. However, VCS is piloting this new system this year because we have the School Improvement Grant (SIG). Teachers will also have the option to participate in an optional PD on Friday, February 8 from 9:00 am to noon to enrich their instructional skills using SMART technology.

We are fortunate to have the School Improvement Grant (SIG) in order to offer students Extended Learning Time opportunities.  Students will have access to Brainfuse, a researched-based online tutoring learning solution. For more information, see the Brainfuse article above.  

New Orientation Courses
All new students will be enrolled in our new Orientation Courses in order to learn how to use our school's technologies and to be a successful online student. For additional details, see the Orientation article above. 

Third Grade Reading Guarantee
Students in our intensive Third grade Reading Guarantee program are finding success, with the majority of students increasing their reading skills. Students involved in this program who have made the most growth are those who regularly attend live tutoring sessions with their assigned tutors. The tutors meet with their small groups four days a week to work on specific skills and strategies proven to help students grow in their reading abilities. Additionally, these students have worked extra hard to complete i-Ready lessons on a daily basis. Early intervention can have a powerful impact on a student's future success with reading. Congratulations to the hard working tutors and students who are participating in the Third Grade Guarantee tutoring program.  

Students at the COSI Success Site worked in the COSI Lab this past month. They made their own hand sanitizer measuring witch hazel, alcohol, aloe vera and tea tree oil. They checked the effectiveness of each of their recipes by using a before and after finger print into a petri dish. The students really love the science lab.  They certainly look like some great scientists in the making! 

Bethany Wilburn 

What is your favorite thing about VCS? The picnics and all the help from the teachers

What is your favorite subject? Math

What do you want to be when you grow up? A chef

What do you like to do in your free time? Sing and play with my friends

Click here to listen to Bethany sing "Amazing Grace"

What is your favorite book? Babysitting Wars

What is your favorite movie? Monte Carlo and Soul Surfer

Do you have any siblings? Yes! I have 2 twin brothers (18) Older brother (16) My Older sister (15) Other sister (14) and little brother (12)

What is your favorite food? Lasagna and Oreos (if that counts)

What made you choose VCS versus a traditional school? Well I have been home schooled all my life and a couple years ago we chose VCS because we thought it would be great to have all hands on deck learning.  

Any advice you would like to share with your fellow students? Yes. Never be afraid to be yourself. Always ask your teachers for help and always shine a light :)

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Dr. Prater teaches high school Art and Office XP  

What is your favorite thing about VCS? I have been given the opportunity to participate in the greatest educational innovation ever: A school where students can attend classes anytime and anywhere there is a computer and Internet service.

What do you want your students to accomplish while they attend VCS? I want my students to become independent learners who take responsibility for their own educational success.

What advice do you want to pass on to your students? Don't give up! You will be surprised at what you can accomplish if you persevere. 

Favorites 

Food: My own homemade chili

Book: Outliers - The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell

Movie: Groundhog Day  (I love the idea of second chances).

TV Show: Elementary

Hobby/Interest: Drawing and painting portraits

Season: Autumn

Vacation Destination: Anywhere away from crowds and traffic jams

Childhood Memory: My older brothers and sisters coming home for the holidays   

Quote: "Talent is the desire to practice."  Malcom Gladwell

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